Jeepney drivers charging their passengers more than the P9 minimum fare risk paying thousands of pesos in fines or, if caught more than once, face cancellation of their franchise, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) warned on Wednesday.
LTFRB Executive Director Maria Kristina Cassion said the agency would tap its own enforcement unit and those from the Interagency Council for Traffic, which includes the Land Transportation Office, the Philippine National Police and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, in apprehending overcharging jeepney drivers.
Instead of assigning the enforcers in specific locations on jeepney routes, Cassion said the enforcers would instead ask passengers at random whether or not they were charged the minimum fare.
As of Wednesday, Cassion said the LTFRB has not received any formal complaint about jeepney drivers refusing to give a P1 change to passengers paying P10 for the P9 minimum fare, adding that they see and hear reports of such overcharging only from the press.
Jeepney drivers and operators face stiff penalties for overcharging. For the first offense, a citation ticket will be issued to the driver and this will serve as a “summons” for them to go to the LTFRB central office in Quezon City.
Should the driver own up to overcharging, they can pay the P5,000 in fine or, if they contest it, a hearing will be scheduled by the LTFRB.
A second offense entails a fine of P10,000 and impoundment of the vehicle, while the third and subsequent violations carry a fine of P15,000 and suspension or cancellation of the franchise. (©Philippine Daily Inquirer 2022 /Dempsey Reyes)
